The Park Palace, Corner
of Park and Mill Streets, Liverpool

The
Park Palace was built in 1893,
as a purpose-built suburban Music Hall and was designed by J. H. Havelock-Sutton, who also built the Shakespeare
Theatre in the City center in 1888,
and the Metropole Theatre in Bootle in 1911,
both now demolished. The Park Palace featured films along with its variety
shows as early as 1905,
and in 1909 the building
was even renamed the Park Palace Kinematodrome. The Theatre still retained
its Music Hall Licence however and continued with both variety and cinema
until it was closed in 1959 to be converted into engineering works,
offices and stores for Crofts Engineers Ltd.

Above text (edited) and image on the
right are from the book 'A Tram Ride To Dingle' by Philip Mayer - Bluecoat
Press.The image shows the building in 1982 when
it was being used as a Chemist shop which itself closed in 1995. The
building still stands today, albeit in a severely dilapidated state.

Above - The auditorium and stage of the Park Palace,
Liverpool whilst the building was being made ready for a play to be
performed there in August 2008 - Courtesy K.R.

The Theatres
Trust database says that 'This was a music
hall of 1,100 capacity. It had a simple rectangular auditorium,
with one balcony around three sides and two boxes decorated with fibrous
plaster enrichments, and fitted with tall oval bevelled mirrors, each
with brass gas brackets.

There
may once have been a gallery. The proscenium was flanked by fluted Corinthian
pilasters with bulbous acanthus leaf bases, a straight entablature and
broken triangular pediment. After a visit by King Edward VII the Royal
coat of arms was installed above the proscenium.

After
1959, the Palace was used as a factory. The boxes and balcony etc were
removed and a floor inserted but the proscenium ornament remains. The
exterior was very plain with no fly tower and was much altered in latter
years.' - Above text in quotes courtesy the Theatres
Trust.

The Park Palace is currently (2010)
being leased to the theatre company Zho and they have formed a new company that proposes to develop the site,
athough funding is short for such a venture. You may be interested to
visit this
website dedicated to the revival of the Park Palace.

Right - This image shows a detail of the front elevation
of the Park Palace in 2004. Picture by Marky. And a Poster for Arthur
Lloyd at the Park Palace February 11th 1901 - Click to enlarge.

Week
beginning August 31st 1896 - "Arthur Lloyd with his three talented relatives, holds the
star place in the 'Park' programme." The
Era, Saturday 5th September 1896. Arthur was at the Park Palace
again for the week commencing 7th December 1901. "Arthur Lloyd
with his clever daughters, Lily and Dulcie, in the sketch 'Little Charlie'." - Courtesy Ted Bottle.

Above - The Park Palace in October 2004, disused
and in a sorry state. It is currently unknown what the future holds
for this once popular Variety House and Cinema. - Pictures by Marky.

In
response to a request for personal reminiscences of the Park Palace
the following was sent in by a 76 year old reader now living in Australia.
He writes: Thanks for your page on the PARK PALACE, I remember the building
on the corner was the co-op, the one on the right was part of the domestic
mission. Regarding the Palace it was I think a dark maroon with gold
tiled exterior, it did have a (gods area) balcony, the seats were just
like big steps with some sort of cushions on them.

The big problem below
was the pillars that supported the balcony, if you got stuck behind
one of them they blocked of the show.

Thanks for the memory I'm 76 and
would have been there about 1935 for the cowboy pics, poor but happy
days. Regards John in Australia.

Right
- This image, taken in 1988, shows the stage and proscenium of the Park
Palace, Liverpool partly bricked up and being used for storage. - Courtesy Ted Bottle - Photo Ted Bottle 1988.

Most of the internal pictures of the Park Palace on
this page were taken by Ted Bottle in
1988. Ted Bottle is the author of 'Coventry's Forgotten Theatre, The
Theatre Royal and Empire' published by Badger Press. Click
to buy this book at Amazon.co.uk.